Halle Berry was elated to win the Oscar for Best Actress in 2002, but she is heartbroken by the reality that no other Black woman has won in that category since.
It didn’t open the door.
The fact that there’s no one standing next to me is heartbreaking.
When Halle won the award in 2002 for her portrayal of Leticia Musgrove in Monster’s Ball, she even said in her acceptance speech that she felt like her win would open the door for women of color.
This moment is so much bigger than me.
This moment is for Dorothy Dandridge, Lena Horne, Diahann Carroll. It’s for the women that stand beside me, Jada Pinkett, Angela Bassett, Vivica Fox.
And it’s for every nameless, faceless woman of color that now has a chance because this door tonight has been opened.
Watch the video below:
Halle revealed that she had a black out moment after winning the award.
I don’t have any memory of it.
I don’t even know how I got up there. It was totally a blackout moment.
All I remember is Russell Crowe saying, ‘Breathe, mate.’ And then I had a golden statue in my hand, and I just started talking.
The sad reality is there aren’t any black women nominated in the Best Actress category this year.
Last year Viola Davis was nominated for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Andra Day was nominated for The United States vs. Billie Holiday.
Both women gave epic performances that were not recognized by the Oscars.
In reflection, Halle Berry said awards are just icing on the cake, and she implied that awards should not be the litmus test for extraordinary artistic expression.
Awards are the icing on the cake, they’re your peers saying you were exceptionally excellent this year.
But does that mean that if we don’t get the exceptionally excellent nod, that we were not great, and we’re not successful, and we’re not changing the world with our art, and our opportunities aren’t growing?
Your thoughts?
Source: New York Post
